gumpaste roses

making gum paste flowers usually requires a bit of equipment. i'm writing this post under the assumption that you have it. if you don't, read this to get the general idea of your desired out come. after that, wing it, and see what you're capable of.

you will need, gum paste, a small rolling pin, confectioners sugar, rose petal shaped gum paste cutters (like a cookie cutter), maybe an exacto knife, and a bone tool for thinning out your edges.

roll out your gum paste and color it whatever color you want. if you're using a liquid food coloring a little bit of cornstarch might be necessary to keep your gum paste at the right consistency.

first, take a piece of gum paste about the size of a dime, roll it into a ball, and then give it a dull point at one end, it should look like a fat candy corn. this will serve as a base for your flower.

roll out your gum paste very thin, (using confectioners sugar like you would use flour to keep dough from sticking).
then just cut out your forms, you'll need four to make a small rose.

starting off

then use your bone tool, shown with the petals below, to thin out the edges of your rose petals. the soft round edge of the bone tool can be rubbed against the edges of the petals without snagging if the gum paste is a good consistency. if you do get a lot of snags, try a pressing motion instead of a rubbing motion, it will take more time, but you'll avoid tears.

this step makes the edges of the petals more life like and will give the whole petal a better shape.

thinned out

the cutters will have given the petal a distinct point at one end. during construction the point will always be facing the fatter end of the base. this will be the bottom.
the first petal will be making the bud of the rose, so wrap one side of the petal around the base completely, then wrap the other end over that. there should only be a small hole at the top, if any. no one needs to know what's going on in there.



the second leaf needs to be secured to the bud, i use a little bit of sonfectioners sugar and water, (a very thick mixture)

the center of this leaf should be directly on top of the seam from the first petal.



press down one side of the petal, but leave the other open. the third petal will slide under the second.



and the fourth petal will slide under the open edge of the third one.



in a perfect world, your petals will each overlap half of the petal before it. and your last petal will overlap half of the first.



to make a bigger rose, cut out an addictional five petals and start a new row. remeber to over lap them with each other. if you dare to add another row after that, you'll need seven petals.

gumpaste is great for making flowers, but it doesn't taste like much. i prefer to use modeling chocolate so i can eat em!. =D

gratuitous

he's gonna eat your soul

five days

the last five days of my life have been the most hectic days that i have ever known.

Friday i worked, Saturday i worked a double and saw the boyfriend. Sunday i worked and saw the boyfriend.

...notice all the space i left for sleeping...

I'm so dumb.

Monday i schlepped my ass all the way to 116 street (Manhattan) where i got lost on the train and cried a little bit. the 456 subway line is not my favorite. but, once i finally got where i was going, i took my food handler's licence test, and i didn't just pass it. i passed it a lot. 96%.

i am still collecting high fives for that.

Tuesday i worked all morning and by the time i got to school that night i was a destroyed sleep deprived mess. it was weird, i barely remember it.

scattered throughout my weekend i got offered a new part time job. the hours are really flexible so i can do it with my internship and school. some girls i work with started throwing parties for beauty control and they asked me to help. it's really good money and i think I'll show up to every party with a hostess gift, some cupcakes and a business card.

i have this sick idea of printing the words, 'ulterior motive' right across the top of the cake box, just in case it needed some clarifying.

a year ago the idea of baking things and then having people pay me for them terrified me. it was so far from what i wanted, but now i can't wait to start.

tomorrow shall be my first day off in a little over a month. i am so excited. nothing to do, time to clean, and update my resume, and do some homework that has been being neglected in the name of the health department's test, and don't tell him this, but perhaps I'll walk my dog. hooray!

santa weekend?

south street seaport
over run with holiday spirit
fueled by beer

not edible, nor did i make it

rusty

happy birthday caitlin

some people like chocolate, so you make them a chocolate cake.

Caitlin really likes the Brooklyn bridge, so i did what i could.

i make a lot of cupcakes, but i only make one frosting

6 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups of milk
2 cups of butter (1 pound/ 4 sticks)
2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

cook the flour and milk together in a sauce pan until it bubbles and thickens. pour it on to a plate and cover it with plastic wrap.

(put the plastic right up against it so it doesn't form a skin. SERIOUSLY!!! cover it. the skin does not simply dissolve away. it makes your icing funky.)

then put it in the fridge while you make the rest of your frosting.


cream the butter and sugar. add the vanilla

when the flour and milk is cool, add it to the butter and whip until the frosting turns light, fluffy and white.

put it in the fridge for 15 minutes. then use all you want.